Binyam Mohamed, the London man who has suffered six years of illegal detention, much of it under brutal torture, in Morocco, Afghanistan, and Guantánamo Bay has been charged with acts of terrorism and could face the death penalty (G2, June 19). Trials by military commission are little more than kangaroo courts, and were branded by retired law lord Lord Steyn as a "a stain on US justice". We condemn the failure of the UK government to challenge the use of military tribunals. By failing to act, the government is in effect condoning a system which denies defendants the right to a fair trial and, in Binyam's case, is prepared to see a British resident possibly condemned to death by way of an unfair trial.

The government is in possession of documents which, if handed over to the Americans, could prove that allegations against him are false and based on torture. The government refuses to do this. It is deeply shameful that, in an apparent effort to conceal its own complicity in Binyam's treatment, it has chosen not to reveal the documents, but rather to see him face trial. We demand immediate action from the government to ensure this trial does not go ahead, that Binyam is treated fairly and humanely, and is released and returned to the UK.David Harrold London Guantánamo Campaign, Clive Stafford Smith Director, Reprieve, John Pilger, Mark Thomas, Naeem Malik Birmingham Guantánamo Campaign, Estella Schmid Campaign Against Criminalising Communities, Moazzam Begg Former Guantánamo detainee, Maryam Hassan Executive director, Cageprisoners, Victoria Brittain, Tony Benn, Bruce Kent, Bill Bowring, Professor of law, Birkbeck College, Louise Christian and six others